Unlocking the rural 5G business case: Techritory 2025

On 22-23 October, the N-B CONNECT project joined hundreds of policymakers, researchers, and technology leaders at Techritory 2025 in Riga, one of Europe’s leading forums on digitalisation and connectivity. The two-day event gathered experts to exchange views on AI, 5G and 6G, e-identity, secure data, non-terrestrial networks, and the future of digital resilience across the region.

The conference, themed Connected Futures through Digital Paths, opened with remarks from Evika Siliņa, Prime Minister of Latvia. The Prime Minister underlined the pace and importance of technological change:

“Every year, technology moves fast, changing how we live, work, and stay safe. That’s why events like these really matter.”

Representing the Nordic Council of Ministers, Nina Hvid-Enevoldsen, Executive Director of the NCM Office in Latvia, highlighted the Nordic-Baltic region’s role in shaping a responsible and shared connected future:

“We don’t just facilitate digital development. We architect a trust-based, sustainable and collaborative digital society.”

Unlocking the rural 5G business case

The N-B CONNECT project organised a panel on the first day, titled “Bridging the Gap: Unlocking the Rural 5G Business Case in the Nordics and Baltics“, moderated by Ingrid Aukrust Rones of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The session brought together representatives from business, policy and academia to discuss how to overcome remaining connectivity challenges, especially in remote and rural regions.

Framing the session, Rones reminded the audience that “technology is the backbone of our society” and that critical infrastructure and continued innovation are fundamental for both security and competitiveness. She highlighted research insights that stress the persistence of significant geographical connectivity gaps in the region, despite widespread 5G deployment and adoption in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Panelist Johan Olav Brakestad from Norway’s NKOM noted that technological development demands fast connections, and that operators “should be able to deliver services across borders without hindrances.”

Lasse Laine from Finland’s Traficom added that our countries “can go beyond infrastructure sharing – we can go toward spectrum sharing,” highlighting Finland’s experience with a common radio access network between operators and emphasising its business value: “If you can share the cost, the profitability really skyrockets.”

From a broader perspective, Hannu Nikurautio, Director of 6G Test Centre NATO DIANA, underlined that resilience and sustainability need to be integrated at the start of the design process, and that governments and partners need to “create frameworks and environments where innovation can grow all the time – a kind of long-term innovation”, supported by public-private partnerships.

Spotlight on the Connectivity Hub

Throughout both days, Nordregio showcased the Nordic-Baltic Connectivity Hub – a new online tool for 5G+ innovation and networking developed within N-B CONNECT.

Madelene Sonesson, GIS Analyst and developer of the Connectivity Hub, presented its functions and benefits in the Nordic-Baltic 5G Expert Group Meeting on 23 October. The tool, on the one hand, maps innovation and testbeds across the region and facilitates matchmaking between operators, projects, and funding partners. On the other hand, it enables comparability between regions and municipalities, which can inform policy design and implementation.

The meeting participants discussed future outlooks for the tool and explored ways to expand its features to support cross-border collaboration going forward.

From regulation to reality

At the Nordic-Baltic 5G Expert Group Meeting, Maja Brynteson, Research Fellow at Nordregio, presented preliminary findings and a local perspective on the implementation of the EU Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) and the NIS2 Directive.

Brynteson, for example, pointed to a risk where wealthier urban municipalities can more easily absorb the costs of compliance with the directives, while rural areas face severe budget strain. As a result, “the areas most in need of broadband are most likely to experience delays, risking wider digital divides.”

With the GIA becoming fully applicable in November 2025, the expert group discussed how national governments can help municipalities balance GIA’s transparency requirements with NIS2’s strict cybersecurity obligations, without overburdening local resources.

“Greater reliance on digital public services creates reliance on critical and safe infrastructure.”

Why does it matter?

NB-Connect’s participation in Techritory 2025 underscored the region’s joint commitment to equitable, secure, and forward-looking digitalisation. By linking research, policy, and practice, the project continues to explore how enhanced connectivity can support the Nordic-Baltic countries on their mission to become the most integrated, sustainable digital region in the world.

Stay tuned for the upcoming policy brief on local learnings, GIA and digital security. See also the latest working paper and literature review: